I’ve been watching the broadcasts of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) since 1995. Poker has always been an interesting sport as both player and railbird. Intently watching both amateurs and pros as they attempt to navigate the massive WSOP player fields is always entertaining. Some of the worst plays I’ve ever seen have been broadcast to an international audience, but so have some of the best.
My secret guilty pleasure, though, is watching the donkey. I love donkeys. I love how donkeys put players on tilt, how they amass gigantic stacks because other players can’t keep their cool around them. And while there are always donkey plays here and donkey plays there, I’ve never seen anything like the 2009 WSOP runner-up: Darvin Moon. Moon donkey played his way through the entire WSOP, and even claimed that he had no talent, just “good cards.”
Entering the tournament, Moon was a self-employed logger and amateur poker player, never having logged a cash at a major event. Moon was unpredictable, inexperienced, but not without strategy. The strategy of being unpredictable and inexperienced, that is. The Maryland native has seen approximately zero success since his runner-up place, but that’s probably okay with him. His trademark phrase explains his simple philosophy: “If I win, I win. If I lose, I lose.” And that’s all there is too it.
Here are a couple of my favorite Darvin Moon moments from 2009:
Moon The Underdog Eliminates Phil Ivey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hATQR0eKYs8&feature=player_embedded
Kopp Loses Cool, Moon Wins the Rest
Esfandiari Bluffs Moon…Unfortunately